OMCs targets 30 L new LPG connections in Odisha by 2018-end

To bring in more households under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), 30 lakh new LPG connections would be given in Odisha by 2018-end, a senior official of Indian Oil Corporation said on Tuesday.

In order to achieve the goal, oil marketing companies would release 30 lakh new LPG connections under PMUY and ten lakh under normal release (Above Poverty Line category) by December 2018, Indian Oil Corporation's Chief LPG Manager and State Nodal Officer G Swaminathan said here.

It has been the vision of Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan that Odisha reaches a LPG penetration of a minimum 70 per cent with a customer strength of more than 75 lakhs by December, 2018, he said.

Stating that Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have already released 2,01,344 new LPG connections under PMUY, Swaminathan said they have processed over 3.47 lakh new connections under the scheme for release.

OMCs have implemented the PMUY programmes in all 314 blocks of Odisha, he said adding, 320 programmes have been organised in these 314 blocks, apart from functions in municipalities and Notified Area Council (NAC) areas.

The LPG penetration has increased to more than 40 per cent from a paltry 26 per cent in the state, while the national average stood at 64 per cent. Since May 2014, OMCs have been able to release more than 16 lakh LPG connections in the state.